Spring air-gun.



'No. 718,646. v P-ATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.-

' w. r. MARKHAM.

SPRING AIR'GUN. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1900.

I0 IODEL.

Urns STATES 'ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. MARKHAM, OF PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN.

SPRING AIR-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent NO- 718,646, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed December 15,1900. Serial No- 40,035. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. MARKHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Air-Guns, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to spring air-guns; and it is one of the objects of the invention to obtain a construction which may be readily knocked down or separated in sections for packing and can be quickly and easily assembled when desired.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the connection between the spring piston and the breakdown stock; further, in the peculiar construction of the joint between the spring-barrel and shootingbarrel, and, further, in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the several sections comprising the gun as knocked down ready for packing. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the springbarrel, showing the connection between the piston and the breakdown stock. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the forward end of the spring-barrel and engaging end of the shooting-barrel, showing the sections detached. Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the lock for holding said sections together.

The gun comprises the stock-section A, the spring-barrel section B, and the shooting-barrel section 0. These, as shown in Fig. 1, may be detached from each other and arranged side by side for packing in small space. The stock may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably provided at its forward end with a hollow metallic fitting D, which is curved to abut against the end of the springbarrel, as shown in Fig. 2. The spring-barrel section comprises the barrel proper, E, in which the piston F engages, said piston hav ing a rearwardly-extending' rod G, terminating in a hook H for engaging with the trigger-detent.

I is a spring sleeved around the rod G within the barrel and bearing against a suitable abutment, such as J, which latteris slotted for the passage of the rod G. At the forward end of the barrel is the plug K, forming an abutment for the piston and having an axial aperture K, through which the air compressed by the piston passes to the shooting-barrel. At the rear end of the spring-barrel is a downwardly and rearwardly extending arm L, being preferably hollow and formed of sheet metal. Near its rear end this arm is connected'by a pivot-pin M with the fitting D of the stock. 7

N is the trigger, pivotally secured within the hollow arm L and projecting into a cutaway portion L of said arm, as shown in Fig. 2. This trigger is provided with a detent N, with which the hook H of the piston-rod G is adapted to engage, while a spring N serves to hold said detent in the path of said hook.

The actuating connection between the rod G and the stock comprises a link 0. This is preferably in the form of a wire loop, the bent portion thereof being adapted to engage with the hook H and the ends being bent to form eyes 0.

P is a pivot-pin passing through the hollow fitting D and adapted to engage with the eyes 0'. The relative arrangement of the hook H and the link 0 is such as to provide a limited lost motion, permitting of a slight movement of the stock before a tension is placed on the spring I. In constructions heretofore made no such lost motion has been provided for, and the result is that it is often a difficult matter tosecu re the link to its pivot-pin when assembling the parts of the gun. This is for the reason that the end of the link is completely covered by the fitting D, so that the operator has no means of guiding the eyes into alinement with the pin.

With my improved construction in assembling the parts the stock may be slightly broken down or moved into the position shown in Fig. 2. This will separate the fitting D from the end of the spring-barreLso that the operator can take hold of the link 0 and guide the eyes 0 into position for engagement with the pin, the lost motion being sufficient to permit of such movement.

The shooting-barrel comprises the true barrel Q and the surrounding false barrel R. lthe projectile and as readily locked in posi- The latter is preferably of slightly less diameter than that of the spring-barrel and is adapted to be sleeved over a projecting portion K of the plug K. The true barrel is of such a length that its inner end will abut against the end of the plug K and register with the aperture K in said block. The inner end of the true barrel is preferably supported by a plug or collar S within the false barrel, and to form an air-tight joint a Washer T is preferably interposed between said plug S and the end of the plug K. To look the parts together, I preferably provide a bayonet-joint, and to this end the false barrel is provided with a slot U, having a laterally-extending portion U', said slot being adapted to engage with a pinVin the plug K. VVit-h this arrangement the shooting-barrel may be locked to the spring-barrel by first moving said barrel longitudinally to engage the pin with the slot U and then rotating it slightly to lock the offset portion U.

In the operation of the gun the breaking down of the stock will cause the link 0 to retract the piston, compressing the spriug and engaging the hook H with the detent N, after which the stock may be thrown back, a projectile inserted in the inner end of the true barrel, and the latter locked in position by the bayonet-joint previously described.

Further description of the operation is unnecessary.

The engagement between the shooting-barrel and spring-barrel is such that the former may be quickly detached for the insertion of tion again.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a spring air-gun, the combination with the spring-barrel, of an apertured plug secured in the forward end of said barrel, and forming an abutment for the piston, said plug having a portion thereof projecting outward from said barrel; a shooting-barrel comprising an inner true barrel and an outer false barrel projecting beyond said true barrel, said false barrel being adapted to sleeve over said projecting plug, and a bayonet-joint lock for securing said shooting barrel to said spring-barrel.

2. In a spring air-gun, the combination with the spring-barrel, of an apertured plug secured in the forward end of said barrel and forming an abutment for the piston, said plug having a portion thereof reduced in diameter and projecting outward from said barrel; a shooting-barrel comprising an inner true barrel and an outer false barrel projecting beyond said true barrel at its rear end, and adapted to sleeve over the projecting portion of said plug, said true barrel being adapted to abut against the end of said plug in registration with the aperture therein, and means for locking said shooting-barrel to said springbarrel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MARKI-IAM.

Witnesses:

S. O. I'IUDD, E. P. LOMBARD. 

